From Ambani vs Mittal in telecom to Narendra Modi vs Nitish Kumar in politics to the Khans in Bollywood, we could see some spectacular conflicts that could define 2013.

1) Mukesh Ambani vs Sunil Mittal

This is a battle that should have been fought over a decade ago. But Mukesh Ambani, thanks to the split in Reliance empire, exited telecom and a clash of the titans was avoided. RIL's proposed re-entry into the telecom sector will not only rekindle rivalry with his brother Anil but also with India's largest telecom company, Airtel. Like RIL, Airtel is betting big on 4G services. Ambani plans to sell the services in low-cost tablets, pitting himself against Mittal.

2) Finance Ministry vs RBI

Fiscal and monetary authorities are kept separate to ensure the smooth running of an economy. Until a few decades ago, the monetary authority, the central bank, was treated as an adjunct to India's finance ministry. Things have changed and the RBI is far more independent. But thanks to political expediency, differences have mounted and the standoff could escalate.

3) ICICI Bank vs HDFC Bank

ICICI is India's largest private-sector bank and HDFC Bank the second-largest. However, in terms of growth in advances and deposits, HDFC Bank fared better in the second quarter of this fiscal with a 23% growth in advances to Rs 2,31,649 crore and 19% growth in deposits to Rs 274,130 crore. In terms of asset quality also, HDFC Bank trumps ICICI Bank. The competition between the two lenders is expected to heighten in 2013.

4) TCS vs Cognizant

At a book launch in Mumbai, former Tata Consultancy Services chief S Ramadorai was asked if he had any regrets. The author of The TCS Story said he regretted not being able to retain people like Lakshmi Narayanan who went on to become the chief of Cognizant Technologies. Last quarter, New Jersey-based Cognizant pipped Infosys as India's second-largest outsourcer. Its scorching pace is now a big threat to market leader TCS as well. Â 5) MCX vs NSE It is the war of the brokers. A few months ago, after the privately promoted MCX bourse announced a 50% lower transaction fee for broker-members, NSE, the country's largest stock exchange, swung into action within days by slashing its fee. While the upstart MCX has grown steadily in average daily turnover, NSE, the largest by daily turnover and number of trades, will go the extra mile to maintain leadership. Watch this space!

6) Diageo vs Pernod Ricard

The English and French continue to wage war over India. The battle for the Indian drinker's wallet, that is. On one hand is London-based Diageo, the world's No. 1 drinks maker, which sells brands like Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker. It got a boost from buying 53% in Vijay Mallya's United Spirits. On the other is French rival Pernod Ricard, which expects premium pricing to ensure fatter profits for its brands such as Absolut, Ballantine's and Chivas Regal.

7) Narendra Modi vs Nitish Kumar

In the endgame of the 2014 polls, one could cancel the other's chances for the top job. So their lack of bonhomie is understandable.

Despite his popularity in Gujarat, Modi suffers from an anti-minority image and is still unsure of where his party stands on his prime ministerial ambitions.

Nitish is playing the waiting game and is yet to congratulate Modi. In the run-up to the general elections, their battle will be the cynosure of all eyes.

8) Raj vs Uddhav Thackeray

Bal Thackeray, for many years, decided war and peace in Mumbai. Even as his son Uddhav and nephew Raj bicker over his legacy, they need to understand that the maximum city is wiser. The future could belong to the leader with a contemporary agenda: the one who can harness the entrepreneurial potential of the mob. Would that be asking for too much?

9) Gandhi family vs Subramanian Swamy

Going by his relentless attacks on Sonia and Rahul Gandhi as well as Robert Vadra, it is evident that Swamy's name is going to recur in the run-up to the 2014 elections. After gunning for the Gandhi family and the Congress government in the context of the 2G scam, he has picked on the allegations against Vadra and also publicly expressed his doubts about the intentions behind the cash transfer scheme. The petitioner is still at large. Â 10) Apple vs Samsung vs Google vs Microsoft In sheer snoot value and top-of-the-line design products, Apple is the big daddy of the smartphone and tablet space. However, rivals Samsung, Nokia and Google (with its Android OS) will hope to challenge Apple this year, not just across the world but in India too. Experts say in 2013, "hardware and search" are going to be at the centre of a war in which these tech giants will creep further into each other's space.